Don’t deny it, at some point in your life you’ve ordered a gadget or product because of an infomercial you saw on television at 3 a.m. Whether it’s the lack of sleep you’re experiencing or the excitement of that “One-time-call-now-amazing” deal they’re offering, infomercials have a way of making people order products they wouldn’t otherwise.

A colleague of mine recently pointed out a pattern with infomercials: Many infomercials attempt to create a problem, then push their product as a breakthrough. “Tired of trying to wash your feet in the shower? Now you can do it without bending down!” (Seriously?!)

According to Wikipedia, the first infomercial for a blender aired around 1950. Now, more than $150 billion is spent annually in the U.S. on infomercial products. The financial crisis increased the number of infomercials, as struggling TV stations reduced syndication contracts. Infomercials can be sensational. But watch out, because some products are questionable.

Considerable Federal Trade Commission scrutiny has focused on diet/weight loss ad claims. Recently, the FTC sued several companies for publishing allegedly fabricated customer testimonials to support their infomercials. In addition, consumer protection agencies have successfully sued or criticized infomercial pitchmen in the past.

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 105 other followers

This blog is brought to you by Better Business Bureau serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin as part of our ongoing effort to protect and serve consumers like you! We cover the greater areas of Austin, San Antonio, Waco, Midland, Corpus Christi, Laredo and Victoria.

Stay tuned for expert advice from BBB professionals who investigate scams, local businesses and consumer trends. We work hard to help you find trustworthy businesses and we are proud of this blog as another way we can help you watch where your money goes...